Fadeaway

by Maura Ellen Stokes

When Sam's best friend Reagan dies after her heart suddenly gives out, Sam must learn to deal with her grief and ultimately discover who she is without her best friend by her side.

Fourteen-year-old Sam thinks she has all summer to hang out with her best friend, Reagan. But then her life changes forever. Sam's world, once filled with school, basketball, and Reagan, has now abruptly changed and she must learn to navigate high school on and off the court without her best friend.

But when Reagan suddenly "reappears," Sam clings to her friend's presence, even as it hurts rather than helps her grief. Can Sam learn to accept herself without her other half? This authentic, powerful story of friendship, grief, and discovering yourself is a can't-miss debut novel from Maura Ellen Stokes.

Genres: Sports, Realistic Fiction, Young Adult, Friendship, Middle Grade, Grief, Death

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 5, 2018

Reviews

[fin · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author spent more time trying to prove her extensive jv high school basketball knowledge than having the protagonist actually deal with her grief like I payed to read a story about someone overcoming a difficult period of their life after the death of their best friend, not basketball for dummies

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, heart-rending story about coming to grips with grief, and learning to live in spite of its shadow.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I had news for the people who say that life goes on. It doesn't.'

I went into this one knowing it would hit close to home, but wow, in a way, it was eerie reading this, because I saw a lot of myself in Sam, and in the way she felt about what happened to Reagan. Of all the YA books I've read that are centered around grief, and the sudden death of a loved one, this one was the best, it hit the nail on the head, Fadeaway is a raw story about a girl suddenly having to navigate her life without her best friend by her side, and having to figure out who she is without her, Sam struggles to remember a before, And it's as if all she has is after, she suddenly has no clue who she is without Reagan, And if she can move on and find out who she's supposed to be in the aftermath. This book hit home, way harder than expected, but I am so, so glad. This is a story I needed so long ago, And I will be forever greatful for it and the impact it had on me, I was stunned, It's been a while since a YA contemporary has had this much of an impact and even longer since a book has hit this close to home. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone and everyone, this is a story that needs to be read.

[mary_ksiazki · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5
Pomysł? Świetny
Wykonanie? Gorsze

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Putting the (slightly boring) plot and (very cliché) characters aside, Fadeaway drove me absolutely BANANAS solely because of the word repetition!

Word repetition is my so-called "literature pet peeve", and if it is yours as well I do not recommend this book. For your convenience, here's a list of the words and phrases that are used WAY TOO OFTEN:
-"shrugged"
-"very funny"
-"nodded"
-"asked"
-"said" (which is arguably the most notorious of them all!)

Hopefully this is enough to explain the 2-star rating.

[Aleya · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's going to be a tough book that helps a young kid one day. It tackles grief really well. It's a beautiful story of two best friends torn apart by death.

[Breebree15 · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was very depressing, but I did like the character's view on basketball. I did wish the ending would've been...more ending ish

[Marmoladka · Rating 3 out of 5]

[02.01.2024]
3/5✨
Pierwsza i mam nadzieję że nie ostatnia książka przeczytania w tym roku

Mamy tutaj historie Sam. Czternastolatki która przed szkołą średnia straciła najlepsza przyjaciółkę. Nagle i na boisku. Sam trudno jest się z tym pogodzić a Reagan do niej czasem przychodzi.

Ciekawe w tej książce było właśnie z Reagan która czasem mogła z nią gadać (ale nie czytała jej w myślach nie wiedziała z automatu gdzie jest Sam etc) właśnie się zastanawiam i nadal w sumie nie wiem czy to podchodź pod fantasty (w sensie no nie mogła gada z zmarła przyjaciółka nie ma bata) czy uznamy to za jej wymysł albo nie wiem.

Też ciekawe było to.. Ze dopiero w połowie książce była zmianka o domy Reagan o jej rodzicach wiedziałam że ona nie mieszkała z Sam ale on nich nic prawie nie było i nie wiem to było dziwne.

Chłopak w czerni? Troszkę typowe ale wykrywacz metali mrr

Myślałam że to bardziej zakończy się na pierwszym meczu Sam bez Reagan i że się wtedy pożegnaja ale się pożegnalny więc no.
Ogólnie polecam<3

[Lonna Pierce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reagan and Samantha have been best friends, joined at the hip and finishing each other's sentences daily since kindergarten. Together they lived, ate and played basketball, practicing obsessively since competing as Dribble Queens at 8 years old. Now 14, Reagan collapses and dies from an undiagnosed heart condition on the very basketball court she loved. It's hard to watch Sam grieve through the book and wince when her suffering seems endless. But this YA novel requires one to be patient and stick with it to reach the satisfying conclusion. Sam's caring parents, her brothers Bradley and Luke, her goth friend, Kevin, a therapist, and even Reagan help her heal. This book gets the basketball shorthand and mania perfectly and gives insight into the difficulties of surviving freshman year of high school on many levels.

[Olivianne Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fadeaway by Maura Ellen Stokes is a great book. It’s a real tear jerker that reminds you to be grateful for your friends. The author did a wonderful job of portraying this story. I really started to feel bad for these character because of how well the chapters were written.
This book is about a girl named Sam who just lost her best friend Reagan. Reagan passed away during the summer, so Sam has to go through her first year of high school without her best friend. Sam and Reagan were really close so Sam takes the death of her best friend pretty hard. The book journeys through not only her high school experience, but also the way she handles her grief on top of going into a new chapter of her school career. My favorite parts of the book are the twists that go perfectly with the story even though you never expected them. I didn’t really dislike anything in this book. I think it was a well throughout story. I’m very glad I chose this book.

[Sarcastic Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Uważam, że to naprawdę młodzieżówka warta uwagi. Porusza ona temat żałoby w delikatny oraz nieco fantastyczny sposób. Nic nie dzieje się tutaj zbyt szybko, ogólnie samej akcji nie jest zbyt wiele, ale nie jest ona nam tutaj też aż tak potrzebna, ponieważ wydarzenia skupiają się głównie na tym jak Sam zmaga się powoli ze śmiercią swojej przyjaciółki Reagan, która była dla niej jak siostra. Stopniowo zaczyna normalnie funkcjonować, powracać do rzeczy, która robiła z dziewczyną. Jest to kolejna pozycja, która porusza ten ciężki temat i jest ona o niebo lepsza od swojej poprzedniczki.

[Natalia Kinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

To była najbardziej poruszająca książka jaką kiedykolwiek przeczytałam. Na końcu łza mi się zakręciła w oku.

[Dove · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is kind of weird but this is like the 3rd or 4th book I've read this year that's about someone dying, and coping with loss, and moving on, and dealing with the memories. I don't read what the books are about when I pick it up, so it's such a coincidence that all these books have such a similar theme! It's like the universe is trying to send me a message, or prepare me for something (Yikes!). But, like all the other books about death I've read this year, I've thoroughly loved this book. It was beautiful, and super important for everyone to read. It has a realistic storyline, and it's unique. This girl and her best friend both play basketball and are super good at it. The best friend has genetic problems with her heart, and one day she dies. The girl blames herself for her best friend's death, and she can't play basketball without her best friend. She doesn't know how to go to school anymore. She gets depressed, her family helps her move on by talking to her, and telling her it's necessary to not let it get in the way of life. Eventually, she try-outs for the school's basketball team, gets in, and slowly gets her life together, making new friends. However, the issue is, she's basically hallucinating her dead best friend. She talks to herself, but really she's talking to her best friend, and they have full conversation, getting advice and talking. She truly believes her best friend is visiting her every now and then. She finally tells her parents, they take her to a psychologist, and she realizes her best friend isn't real, so she stops talking to the ghost, and it gets better.

[k · Rating 2 out of 5]

feel like this ended too early. could’ve added another 20-30 pages

[Laura Koehler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own. As a middle school teacher, I have come to discover that young people today are dealing with so many struggles and hardships. It is so important for people to develop empathy and put themselves in another person’s shoes, but this can be difficult if we can’t see grief through a child’s eyes. Fadeaway by Maura Ellen Stokes does an excellent job portraying this journey and process of dealing with loss through her main character, Sam.

Stoke’s debut novel starts with a heart-wrenching beginning: Sam unexpectedly loses her best friend, Reagan, after her heart gives out due to an unknown cause while playing basketball. Sam and Reagan anxiously awaited the day they could begin high school together, and they had all the details planned out, all the way down to making the basketball team and dominating the court. Now Sam is left to take on high school. Alone. She begins to struggle through the day to day routines until she hears Reagan's voice.

What I like most about this novel is that it forces you to go on this journey with Sam. Every day for Sam is tough, and the reader is wondering right along with Sam about when things will get better. Through the course of the school year, the author gives us moments to show that gradually, things always get a little bit brighter and a little bit easier with time, support, and help. As a reader, I was rooting for Sam every step of the way, and I cried with her at the very end when she finally has to learn to let go. This novel is a perfect addition to any library and is a good read for anyone who loves stories about friendship, basketball/sports, and coping with loss. It's a perfect reminder that we can lose people, but they can never be forgotten.

[Gosia Szczecin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Za co lubię młodzieżową literaturę? Nie wiem. Pewne jest jedno - uwielbiam czytać książki z tej półki. Nieważne, że są często jednowątkowe i nieskomplikowane. Ważne jest to, że mówią o sprawach, które w naszym, dorosłym życiu wydają się zwykłym elementem dnia powszedniego. Tymczasem dla młodego człowieka, który dopiero wchodzi do świata dorosłych pewne mechanizmy są nowe i często zaskakujące. Dlatego właśnie powieści skierowane do tej grupy często traktują po prostu o życiu, choć ujętym w zaskakujący dla dorosłego czytelnika sposób. Uwielbiam to.
Sam jest nastolatką, jakich wiele. Ma kochającą rodzinę, chodzi do szkoły uwielbia grać w koszykówkę i często kłóci się z braćmi. Ma też swoją jedyną, ukochaną przyjaciółkę, z którą od przedszkola właściwie się nie rozstaje. Takie papużki nierozłączki. Niestety autorka nie daje nam się zbyt długo pocieszyć tą przyjaźnią. Podczas meczu koszykówki Reagan traci przytomność i umiera. Jej serce, obarczone niewykrytą wadą, po prostu nie zniosło wysiłku i odmówiło posłuszeństwa. Sam jest załamana. Jej życie straciło sens i legło w gruzach. Nie potrafi wrócić do normalnego życia, chodzić do szkoły i dalej żyć. Na szczęście na pomoc przychodzi jej ... sama Reagan. Pojawia się w głowie Sam jako głos, który rozmawia z nią i pomaga uporać się ze stratą. Reagan komentuje zachowania Sam, żartuje z niej, co więcej – uprawia czarny humor dotyczący własnej śmierci. Dzięki niej Sam pomału wstaje z kolan i rusza do przodu.
Długo myślałam jak opisać swoje wrażenia i lepszych słów nie znajdę. Napiszę tak: jak na literaturę młodzieżową "Zdarzyło się wczoraj" to wyjątkowo dojrzała i przemyślana powieść traktująca o samotności, utraconej przyjaźni, stracie... o wszystkim tym, co tak naprawdę jest częścią życia, tyle że niekoniecznie przeciętnej nastolatki. To powieść, która pokazuje, że w każdej sytuacji trzeba się pozbierać i iść dalej. Nie ma znaczenia, jakich środków użyjemy, aby podnieść głowę i na nowo ujrzeć świat. Ważne jest, aby osiągnąć cel. To powieść, która dla wielu będzie wskazówką i drogowskazem pokazującym światełko w tunelu. Pomimo tego, że porusza naprawdę trudny temat, napisana jest lekko i przyjemnie, dzięki czemu wchłania się ją niczym ciepłą bułeczkę. Czytając czytelnik czuje, jak Sam budzi się do życia, jak podświadomie dociera do niej, że trochę się pogubiła i musi wrócić na wcześniej obraną ścieżkę pomimo tego, że nie ma już na niej Reagan. Musi iść dalej. Sama. Ale da radę.
Bardzo podobało mi się rozmowy prowadzone z duchem Reagan. Trochę z humorem (nierzadko czarnym) trochę z rozpaczą, że już się nigdy nie zobaczą, ale zawsze z nadzieją, że dadzą radę. Kiedy dziewczynki muszą się już na zawsze pożegnać, czytelnik ze zdziwieniem uświadamia sobie, że właściwie Sam już się podniosła.
Piękna powieść, która przyniesie radość każdemu.

[chippyvale · Rating 5 out of 5]

I borrowed this from the library for funsies and whimsies (honest answer: the cover captured my attention). Set in a high school setting, you have the usual face-offs between the football and basketball jocks, academic eligibility you have to meet otherwise you are dropped from the team(s), sibling bantering and of course, dealing with grief and depression from losing your best friend.

Here's what I love:

a) Sam is stricken with grief after her best friend Reagan passed away due to her heart giving out. But Sam tries to move along with life. When she found out she was dropped from the team, she executed her next plan to ace her upcoming exams so that she can make it back into the basketball team. She does not suppress nor numb her pain; here is where the author does brilliantly.

b) The come back responses to their teacher who was a twat!

"Mr Holt?" said Mr Pratt. "Is there a reason you are staring at Ms Wilson instead of me?"

God. My face turneed into a Vivid Violet crayon. I didn't have to look at Kelvin to know we had a matching set.

"She is a lot prettier," said Brain D.

The class collectively giggled.

Mr Pratt scowled. "I asked Mr Holt, not you, Mr Dowling."

Made me reminisce about high school for a few seconds thinking about the comeback responses from my classmates years ago!

c) The riot! Well it's not a real one per se; the writing was so pristine that I could clearly visualise the scenes in my head and I had a good laugh over the next few pages. Purpose of the "riot" was to stick up for Sam and Goth Boy, particularly the latter who had his sketch book thrown into the fountain by one of the jocks for funsies.

d) The ending. Shall leave it here but it did have my eyes welling up a tad.

[Valerie McEnroe · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book fills a niche in desperate need of filling. There aren't enough books for girls who play sports. Because of that reason alone I will be on the lookout for this book for my middle grade library. BUT...this book does not feel like a middle grade read. It feels like a YA book. The main character is just beginning her freshman year of high school. That doesn't automatically make it YA. What makes it YA for me is the teen angst, trouble dealing with life (even the death of a friend), depression, need to see a therapist. I'm not into YA. Nothing personal against YA writers. I just don't get into the themes, issues, and drama. I like the more light-hearted vibe of MG books. Mike Lupica's books deal with tough sports issues, but they completely read like middle grade to me. This book does not. Maybe it's a girl book vs. boy book thing.

A quick overview...Sam and Reagan are more than just best friends. They are like family. They are a force to be reckoned with on the basketball court. When Reagan dies suddenly from heart failure, Sam is completely devastated. Her grades suffer. She doesn't try out for the rec team. She can barely get herself out of bed every day. Then she starts hallucinating a living, breathing, talking Reagan. Reagan convinces her to try out for the school team. She barely makes the team because of her grades, and during her first game, she passes the ball to Reagan, who doesn't exist.

Unfortunately, you have to wait awhile to get scenes with play by play sports action, but when you do it's good.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating hovered between a 3.5 and a 4. The beginning of this book DRAGGED for me and I actually read a different book between starting this one and finishing it (not something I usually do with shorter/MG novels). But, after about halfway through, this one did pick up. Maybe because the main character, Sam, who is dealing with the unexpected death of her best friend Reagan, finally goes to school and quits just lamenting and sleeping at home. Yes, I know that is how grief works. No, I don't want to read chapters with only that happening. Does that make me heartless? Maybe. Anyway, once Sam goes back to school and starts having more interactions with characters who are alive and part of her life, things pick up.

Minor spoiler: Sam's best friend dies (this is not the spoiler-this happens within the first few pages) but then Reagan's ghost? spirit? something? continues to visit her throughout most of the book. While I would normally be OK with this type of magical-realism, it got a bit confusing later in the book because her visits from "Dead Reagan" are not the same as her delusions of actually SEEING Reagan, which felt a bit odd to me as a reader.

Anyway, this is good book on grief and moving on after a friend passes. It is not a huge sports book, even though basketball is a big part of the storyline. I'll probably shelve it in my realistic fiction section at school.

Appropriate for grades 6-10.

[Danny Barraza · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is set up at the very start where Sam the main character (in middle school going into ninth grade) talks to her best friend Reagan who dies later that day from a heart attack during a pick up game of basketball. Sam is beyond sad and is extremely depressed. She is barely able to stand on her feet at the funeral for how mournful she is. School starts and she is terrible and is instantly failing in all her grades. It seems to her that everything she sees at school is somehow reminding her of her friend. She quits the basketball team with that being the biggest reminder of all. She slowly develops a voice inside her head that has Reagans personality to fit a small piece of what she felt was missing. Eventually she improves with the support of her family and Reagan's voice in her head says that she should play basketball. Then she starts playing basketball again and studying hard in her classes.

The book was good for its genre, but personally these sadder more depressing books I don't feel are fit for me. If you are like that I do not recommend reading this book because of how depressing it is. The setting in this book is in New Hampshire, but the mood that is set is very sad and gloomy. Throughout the entire book you feel a constant pity towards Sam because of what she is going through. They use Reagan's voice as a symbol towards the fake personality she created inside her head of what would Reagan say or tell me.

[Gabrielle Schwabauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever seen the "my dead friend is talking to me" concept executed so well. Sam's personality is striking and believable, as is her friendship with Reagan and ensuing grief at her loss. The basketball scenes were seamlessly interwoven and provided a lens for exploring trauma, anger, and healing that helps this book stand out from the many grief-centric YA stories available.

Overall, a really strong read, though like other reviewers, I was put off by some scenes where Sam seemed to forget (?????) that Reagan was suffering, that Reagan was going through something far worse, that it was much better to be alive and struggling than entirely gone. I would have accepted one scene with that structure, but there were several, and that was too many. I simply couldn't fathom that a teen with a dead best friend who was able to talk to that friend would mostly discuss her own life and problems and never ASK QUESTIONS about what was happening to Reagan! I think the author made that choice to avoid making the story about The Afterlife: What Is It Really? And mostly was successful. But fewer scenes revolving around Sam's self-centeredness would have helped.

Nonetheless, I found this a well-written and engaging story that hit all the right emotional beats in unexpected ways. A great example of the unexplained supernatural premise executed in a way that really works.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic Fiction has always been a really eye catching genre to me. I have read many books where the plot seems to go nowhere and you end up making reading a chore for you. When reading Fadeaway by Maura Ellen Stokes I felt none of that. It included conflicts and tension wanting to make you read more. I felt pain, friendships, and surprisingly determination. Fadeaway is very different from any other Non-Fiction book.

This book captured my attention from the beginning, this book takes place during summer where Sam and her best friend Reagan are going into there High School together and looking forward to basketball tryouts. They both have a huge impact on each other’s lives because the majority of their time is spent together. When Reagan tragically dies, Sam’s world is completely shattered. Sam doesn't know what to do, and is lost without her best friend.

This writing is so beautiful and descriptive in many ways and describes whether it’s possible to overcome something so dreadful. Maura Ellen Stokes did a astonishing job presenting what life would be like without Reagan. Reading Fadeaway showed me how impactful someone in your life can be, Sam felt guilty and untrustful to have the same friendship with anybody else like Reagan.

In Conclusion Fadeaway conveyed that when life gets hard you can always overcome it with determination.

[Young At Heart Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of a 3.5

This is a really good debut novel. It shows a decent portrayal of grief and, while some of the language needs some work, it flows very naturally. Despite being a very grounded and slow-moving story, I was never bored or wanted to set it aside.

There are some plot threads that go nowhere, particularly the one with Sam and Kevin. She builds this relationship up, like they're going to get together, but nothing comes out of it. It made me think that this book possibly ended twenty pages too early, as it does suddenly just end. I get that this isn't the main focus of the book, that belongs to her relationship with Reagan, but after all that build up, I would have liked some resolution.

I remember someone pointing out that it's a bit odd that we don't see any of Reagan's family in all this and that's a fair point. We never know the impact of her death on her own family, not even a passing mention. I can't remember if they were even in the funeral scene.

I think with just a little fine tuning to style, Stokes can make a truly great book. This is a good starting point.

[Jolas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is a story of Sam and Reagan. Actually it is a story of what happens when Sam loses Reagan suddenly. It is a story of overcoming the loss of someone close. I actually was searched for middle grade novels that touched on this topic because I had a student who requested to read stories with the death of a loved one (after experiencing two tragic losses in their extended family).
The story kept my interest and I think that middle school readers would enjoy. I do which the character development would have been a bit better, deeper. Also, as a person who does not follow basketball, I found that I was not as interested in the intriacies about the game.

[John Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the story was about Sam, her grief at losing her best friend, and her difficulties in coping with this, the story shined. When Reagan "appeared" and Sam and her "talked", I was touched and engrossed. The ending was just right and had me wiping a tear away. The basketball scenes were well-done. However.....the reason this book doesn't get 5 stars is because some of the scenes didn't ring true. For instance, the whole idea of Mr. Pratt basically insulting Sam and his ignorant digs at her in the classroom in front of her classmates was, frankly, bizarre. The fight and riot at the school assembly belonged in a story from WWE Smackdown. Some of the humor just wasn't funny. So, I would recommend this book, with these caveats.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when someone you love, someone who is part of your everyday life, suddenly dies?

Samantha’s best friend just died from an unknown heart defect. She just died. On the basketball court. No warning. Nothing.

Now Sam is left to figure out how she can possibly live day to day without her best friend. I mean, they had plans. Everything Sam did, Reagan was there. And now she’s not

I feel like the author handled the sharp and penetrating grief that we experience when losing someone close to us. I think that anyone who lost someone will be able to relate to a lot that Sam experiences.

I did breeze through a lot of the technical basketball jargon and detailed plays on the court. I could have lived without all of that. But it will definitely appeal to basketball fans.

[Parę słów o książkach · Rating 4 out of 5]

Czternastolatka Sam to wielka fanka koszykówki, pełna energii dziewczyna, która nie widzi świata poza sportem i swoją przyjaciółką Reagan. Przyjaciółka to jej bratnia dusza, wspólnie podejmują każdą decyzję i nie ma nawet mowy, żeby kiedykolwiek się rodzieliły. Niestety pewnego dnia podczas gry w koszykówkę Reagan umiera. Dla młodej Sam to tragedia, z której nie umie wybrnąć, nie wie jak dalej miałaby żyć, skoro jej przyjaciółki już tu nie ma.

Mimo trudniejszej tematyki jaką jest śmierć młodej osoby, dziecka, nie spodziewałam się, że książka aż tak mną wstrząśnie. Czytanie jej musiałam kilkukrotnie przerywać, ponieważ w moim gardle rosła gula, a oczy były pełne łez. Podobnie jak Sam nie mogłam sobie poradzić ze śmiercią Reagan, przed którą było całe życie.

Moja reakcja na "Zdarzyło się wczoraj" odwzorowuje tylko jak dobrze spisała się autorka. Ta książka jest jej debiutem, a została napisana z taką płynnoścą, a zarazem z masą emocji, które pokazały, że Maura Stokes ma jeszcze wiele do zaoferowania.

"Zdarzyło się wczoraj" to książka nie tylko o śmierci, stracie i smutku, w którym pogrążyła się główna bohaterka. Jest to również opowieść o pięknej przyjaźni, nastoletnich planach i pasji, jaką jest sport. Na kartach powieści Sam odkrywa nową siebie w nowej rzeczywistości, w której nie może już polegać na przyjaciółce podejmującej większość wyborów. Powoli uczy się żyć bez niej, z małą pomocą rodziny i znajomych ze szkoły.

Już dawno nie czytałam książki, która by mnie jednocześnie intrygowała zmuszając do dalszego jej poznawania, a także bardzo smuciła, przez co walczyłam ze sobą z każdym spojrzeniem na ten tytuł. Szczerze nie spodziewałam się, że książka młodzieżowa będzie w stanie wywołać u mnie tak skrajne emocje, a jednocześnie przez to będę ją bardzo chwalić. Mam nadzieję, że kolejne książki pani Stokes już na horyzoncie i że niedługo będę mogła się przekonać czy faktycznie jej literacki debiut to świetny wstęp do dalszej kariery pisarskiej.

[George Dean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this wasn’t really for me. I literally judged a book by its cover and picked this one up in New York last summer because tbf the cover is gorgeous. But I didn’t really realise at the time that this was a book aimed at 10-14 year olds. Nevertheless, this was still a well-written and thoughtful book. There’s not a lot of action or drama and suspense, it’s just a little coming-of-age slice-of-life book about a 14 year old girl dealing with the grief of losing her best friend. I think this book is really likely going to help some kid somewhere, but that “kid” wasn’t me, I still enjoyed this though!

[Mona Kabbani · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very cute idea. The ending was a little weak and the conflicts were a little repetitive. Sam always acted selfish until she remembered that Reagan was dead, then felt bad complaining about her own problems, and apologized to Reagan for being so self centered. Yes, we get it.

I still feel like I don’t fully understand what Reagan is - was she an apparition or a part of Sam’s mind because she apparently knew things that Sam didn’t but this book also didn’t strike me as supernatural so I’m not sure.

Overall: cute, did make me smile in nostalgia at times for my youth, and I love me a goth character.

[Susan Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam and Reagan were best friends and basketball teammates. They were always together and forever obsessed with sport. They summer before freshman year they had big plans for playing on the high school team together that winter - until Reagan collapsed and died in the middle of a game. Now Sam is alone - navigating the world and a new school by herself for the first time. It's not easy, and basketball just isn't the same without Reagan. Then Sam hear's Reagan's voice. How can this be? And will Reagan be able to help her old friend move on with her life?